Securing means



Nov. 18, 1930.. l. D. FORD 1,782,165

SECURING MEANS Filed June 1l, 1928 Patentedl Nov. 18, 1930 'relaV :PAT

IRA n. FORD, OF5 RosrzIiAIii),l ONTARIO, OVANADALOASSIGNOR rTo.InvIvnRsAL BUTTON FASTENING e BUTTON ,OOMPANL or vnn'rROIcLyv MICHIGAN, A CORPORATION ror MICHIGAN applicati@ mea "June 11,l

Y* securing pieces of cloth together. 5 i

,byA reference to one n illustrative embodiment The invention 'may bereadily understood thereof shown in the accompanying drawing.

In said drawing: n Y v Fig. 1 is an enlarged sectionvthrough Athe elements of a closed snapfastener secured to overlapping piecesof fabrica 1 K Fig. 2 is a bottom plan 'View of the stud elementlofthe fastener taken alongtheline 2- '2 ofFig.'1;jf, 'f

Fig. 3 i-sapla'nsection through the closed fastener elements taken alo'ngthe line 3 3 of.Fig.1;'and 'e Fig. 4 's'a plan vieW'of the base 'of'tlie socket, element'of the snap fastener taken along the line 4 4 of Fig.*1. Because of the facility of their application and because they eliminate the need for eX* pensive button holes,"snap fasteners are vadvantageous for' fastening together 'ove-rp and shape .and diameter ofthe stud head 17 `lapped'pieces of'cloth Orthe like, particularly in Working clothing and other articles Where y'ease' in fastening vor unfastening is Aimportant or Where fastening by buttons or hooks is unsuitable O1' expensive. However, the strain which placed' on the cloth to separate the snap fastener :elements (which have adequate separation resistance for arti-r cles of clothing of'this character) frequently Aresults in tearing of the'cloth at the points of attachmentrdue to Weaknesses created by;

- severing of e the threads .by th'e'attaching means and to inadequate gripping of th-e cloth by the attaching elements. Snap fasteners have, therefore, beenfobjectionable notwithstanding theirinherent advantages, 'Y l 'are .f-Ormedto present vsubstantial cloth enexcept for unusually ystrong materials, ysuch as leather.

The illustrative snap fastener is herein represented by inter-fitting stud and socket ele- 5 ments 10 and 11 Which may be separably held together through "the actionof a resilient ele-r ment in the form o f a spring ring 12 carried bythe socket element. The latter element consists of a cup-shaped member advantage- Ouslyvpressed from sheetmetal and having SEOURINGk MEANS* 7 192s'. y i serial Na 284,314.

aninterior `groove 13 adjacentthe rim 14 of the cup in'which is loosely heldthe spring ring 12,`Whichin this instance extendsv'almost, but not quite,` around Vthe lcircumference of the groove. 4 y Y gv. 1 l

The stud element 10 ycomprises in this -instance a circular base 15jand a'prkojecting stud -16Y of less diameter thanrthe base. The head l7`of the Studis rounded in this instance by Vbeading Or'eurling inward-ly the' free edge/..18

of themetal forming astifi'ening flange; and formed yto. an external diameter` slightly greater than the normal or unstrained inter` rnal diameterk of the spring ring 12. depth ofthe stud is suiicient to permit the head thereof'to pass the spring ring of the socket element `into which it is snapped; the springi'ring fitting underneath the. head around' the. reduced neck19 .of the stud. The

groove 13 inthe socket ism'ade sufficiently larger than the normal diaineter ofv the ring -to allow room for necessary expansionv ofthe ringin passing' over thelarger stud head.-

The spring strength of the spring `ring 12 normali use of the garment.

n Th basey 15 of the stud element advantageously formedin a Aseparate piece' andatvtached to thestudfproper by crimping its flange over .the projectingfl'ange 2O at 'the base-of the stud. 1

The bases of the stud and socket elements gaging faces and 'pierced-'centrally by a tool Which curls up the metal around the margin of the pierced hole, as at 21,'thereby substantially stiffening the` bases of they element. The basesl of the respective elements are further 'reinforced bya seriesr of radial corrugations 22 and 23, respectively, covering subto prevent distortion thereof (and possible` `The stantially the surface O-f the base and serving loosening of the fastener element) by the attaching forces. The base of the stud element is arched inwardly to cooperate with the radial corrugations therein in sustaining the attaching forces and'transmittin'g the gripping forcesfrom the center of the base outwardly to itsrim.

The attaching element is herein repre,- sented by a headed, single prong tack or fastener whose-,prong 24 is sharply pointed and pierces the cloth Without weakening or severing anypart thereof, and is upset within the fastener element under pressure so thatthe fabric is clamped firmly between the head of the tack and the base of the snap fastener element. 'In the illustrative fastener the head 25 is integral with the prong 24 and is advantageously finished (and enlarged' if need be to provide-a headv of sufficient diameter) by a cap 26k .whose marginsv are crimped or upset under the head... The tack is made ofmetal sufiiciently ductile and mal- Y leable that it `may be formed in a tack Inalchine so that the prong of the tack Will enlargeand upset properly inside'the snapfastener under the actionof the upsetting die. The opening in the base of each of the respective snap fastener, elements is preferably slightlyV smaller than that portion 4of the prong with which it comes into permanent engagement. In the attaching opera-tioii, the prongr of the tack, therefore, enlarges the hole in'thebase, thereby insuring a tight engagement of the baseabout thenprong. This tight fit together with the tapered shape of the prong assis-iis in limiting the upsetting of theprong to the free portion thereof lying inside the base of the snap fastener element. The character of the metal of which the prong is made is such that under the upsetting action of the die it slightly enlargesV or. expands in diameter at 27 just inside the -oplning` in the base, thereby resisting separation from thefastener element throughout the circumference of the prong. 'Thelextremityof the prongmay advantageously be bent or `curled ,over as-at 28 against the base ofthe fastener element,'thus providing additional security against separation or loosening of the grip on thecloth.

TheY tension thus created in the fastener prongs by the attaching operation is suiiicientto cause the'bases of stud and socketelements and the cooperating attaching faste-ner .heads tightly to grip and compress the fabric between them.` In the drawing the piece 'of fabric is shown thus compressed; `buit :the `degree of compression necessary to edect an efficient grip obviously depends somewhat on the character and-thickness of the fabric or layers of fabric to whichV the snap fastener `element is secured. This gri-pisaugmented bythe corrugations in the bases of the snap fastenerI elements and should ,be @firm enough to contribute substantially tosecuring the 4ments are designed so that their central portions 29 are open and accessible to an upsetting tool.

f For purposes of decoration or adjuf-/tinent the outer. o r top attaching fastener is advantageously provided with a head larger than that necessary merely for attachin purposes. This head includes a finishing cap l() '(the margins of which are crimped underneath the taclr head) which may be decorated or designed for advertising purpose?, or both,

' bylappropriate plating and embossing.

A The piercing of the fabric'by tlieattaciiing prongs 24 not only preserves the integrity of the fabricbut .avoids any wrinftling thereof, leaving asinooth surface to be` A,

gripped. Since its integrity is preserved, the fabric cannot readily slip `or movezbetn'een the gripping heads; 'and theprongs themselves resist any tendency to slip. It is, therefore, difficult, if not impossible, for the fabric ,to be. slit in separating the snapfastener elements.

The qualities above pointed out ina-ke available the use of thesnap vfastener principle in those forms of clothing whereinit 4is particularly advantageous, such as childrcns rompers and Worl;ing-meifs clothing. l have found that through the elimination of i" iensive button holes, four garment liandiings may be eliminated inthe course of manufacture. This is a very important item in the cost of nninufactlnfe because clothing isof a character which makes it particularly dinicult and expensive to handle in passing it through theiyarious manufacturing operations.

.iii addition to the direct benefits tothe garment,manufacturer, the advantages in use of the improved snap fastener are substantial.. I have discovered ,that the combined securing action `of spaced piercing prongs and the clamping .or gripping action above referred to provide avery great factor of safety in firmness and durability of attachment, particularly as compared to the force necessary i to separate the fastener elements. The firinness and security of fastening enables one to derivefullbenefit of thefastening characteristics of the snap fastener. They may not 01115 be qUClly and easily snapped to- Vgether (by one hand ifnecessary) but by a single pull applied at an appropriate portion of the garment an entire line of fasteners may be separated, with the assurance that the cloth` will not be weakened .or torn and 'that y tener elements -each ,provided with, a cloth` the fasteners Will remain securely attached 'during the useful life ofthe garment. y

`Obviously the invention is not limited to the ydetails ofy ythe illustrative construction,v since these may be variouslymodified. 'Moreover, it is not indispensable that all-features of the invention be used conjointly, vsince various features may be used differentr prong, saidhead and basebeing lof a size to,v

present substantial cloth engaging faces, said prong piercing the cloth Without severing any part thereof and being upset under pressure inside said element so as to engage the edge of said opening and causing saidhead and vbase tightly to grip opposite sides of the cloth. f t 1 n 2. 4Cloth fabric securing means comprising in combination a pair of separable snap fas- 'l engaging base, each of t' said bases vbeing pierced to provide an opening, the metal disl placed to form saidv opening being curled inwardly to provide an upstanding marginal flange around said opening,-said bases being provided with radial corrugations to reinforcethe same, and a headed` fastener for each y of said elements having a single pointed prong piercing the fabric without severing any part thereof and being upset under pressure inside its snap fastener element and expanded so 'to engage said marginal-flange, said upset prong causing said fastener head and snap fastener base'to tween them. Y

3` In combination, snap fastener elements having cooperating interlocking parts, one of said parts having a cloth engaging baseV portion provided With an opening, means for reinforcing said base portion including ribs pressed from said base and extending radially outwardly from said opening, and anattaching fastener having a head and a single pointed prong adapted to pierce the cloth and extend through the opening aforesaid.

grip the fabric tightly bepointedend of said prong being upset after entering the base, and a headed and flanged stud element having the flange thereof rev ceived in' and'heldby the open return bent .flange of the base and having a tubular head provided with an inturned annular flange subend of the single prong aforesaid.

5. A snap fastener structure including two spaced cloth engaging .meinbers,'one being a base, and theother a cap, each of saidmembers having marginal open return bent flanges, a headedand flanged stud element having the yflange thereof received in and held by the openr return bent flange -of said base, the head of.V

said element being circular and having an inwardly extending annular stiffening flange, and attachingr means for said members includingv` a .headed and single pronged fastener vhaving the head thereof received in and held by the open return bent flange of the cap and having the single prong thereof extending stantially concentric with the upset pointed through said base,vthe pointed end of said prong being'upset afterfentering the'base and being receivedfin the opening in the head a" formed by the inwardly extending annular stiffening flange.

6. A snap fastener structure including two spaced cloth engaging members, i base, a headed and flanged stud element havone being a ing the flange thereof secured to said base,-the

vhead of said'element being circular and having an inwardly extending annular stifl'ening flange, and attaching means for said members including a single pointed prong projecting from the other of said members and extending through said base, the pointed end of said prong being upset after entering the base and being adjacentthe annular stiffening flange aforesai 1,

In testimony whereof, I have signed my name to this specification.

ma D. rom).

f 4. A snap fastener structure including two i spaced cloth engaging members of substantially uniform area, one being a base and the l other a cap, said base having an openreturn bent flange, attaching means for said members including a headed and single prong fastener having the head thereof secured to and concealed by said cap and having the single prong i thereof lextending through said base, the V 

